


Tacks, not Staples

by lelevex



Series: Banana Fish Bingo Prompts [3]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: (kinda), 5+1 Things, Alternate POVs, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Impressions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Painting Conservation, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:48:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lelevex/pseuds/lelevex
Summary: *being rewritten*In which Ash and Eiji keep stumbling into each because of other people — that is, until they don’t have to.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Series: Banana Fish Bingo Prompts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842499
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	Tacks, not Staples

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt that inspired this was “5+1 Things” and I actually had a painting conservator! Eiji AU planned under the same name but it didn’t really work out but I figured this format would work well. I also really wanted to write a 5+1 things au lmao and I find conservations really interesting so it worked out in the end 
> 
> \- Lele

1.

The first time Ash Lynx meets Eiji Okumura it's because of Max. 

"You've got to be kidding me," he groans into the phone, hand wrapped around a warm cup of coffee.

"Just this one time Ash! If I miss this Jess is gonna kill me again,"

"Who the fuck forgets their wedding anniversary?" he says. He takes an angry sip of the hot beverage, ignoring the slight scorch it leaves on his tongue. October weather isn't exactly the warmest so he'll do anything to not feel cold right now — even if that means sacrificing his taste buds.

"Your old man does-"

"Don't pull the dad card when you're asking me for a favour Max," he rolls his eyes, "you have an actual son now,"

"Fine. How about this then, I'll give you an I.O.U and we can call this done," Max says. "Any favour works as long as I'm not getting arrested."

He thinks about it. Takes another sip. He pours the rest of the coffee down the drain as rain starts to fall outside.

"What exactly do I have to do?"

It's those series of events that lead him here. Here being an office shoved into the corner of a larger studio space, sitting across the desk facing a respectably attractive man. He doesn't know exactly why he's here, just the sparse details Max has told him the night before flitting around his brain as he tries to remember them. He thinks he should've written them down somewhere, but he'd always had a good memory. Selective, yes, but good nonetheless.

As someone who prides himself on being smart it's almost painful to realise that he doesn't understand most of the words coming out of the other man's mouth. The words he does understand (things like solvent and paint and glue) don't make sense in context. Context he's not been given. It's safe to say that he's not paying much attention to the man across the table, even if his eyes are firmly glued to the other's face. You can see a faint reflection of the computer adorned with post it notes through the glasses the other man wears. He almost finds it endearing but he can't exactly figure out why.

"Is that all clear to you Mr. Callenreese?" the man across the table says.

Buzz word. He snaps back to reality with a smile on his face, images of post its and glasses tucked away for the time being - though he makes a mental note to revisit them later.

"Crystal," he says with a smile on his face.

"Great," the other man leans back in his chair, "then just to make sure I've got everything right- what's my name?"

He blinks.

"Pardon me?" His tone is edged with surprise. If he knew he would be getting a pop quiz on this meeting maybe he would've paid attention these last ten (fifteen?) minutes.

"I wanted to check you had my name right in case I needed to contact you," the other man says, "do you need something to write down my info? I've run out of business cards at the moment so I can't grab you one of those,"

"That's alright, I'll be able to get your info from Max later when he asks me about this," he lies. He has no idea what his name is.

"Then could you write your name on one of these so I can put you down as a secondary contact for Max," a pile of neon orange post it notes slide across the desk towards him, "just a phone number or email with your name is fine,"

He nods, dishing out his own pen from his pocket and writing on the pad before sliding it back. He watches as the other sticks it onto the frame of his monitor.

"Thanks Ash, it was a pleasure meeting you today," the other man says, "please let Max know that I've got a few other projects to work on right now so I'll be pushing his a little further down my queue. I trust you know your way out,"

And just like that he's shut out. He goes through the motions of standing up and walking to the door before he turns around to say goodbye.

"Pleasure meeting you as well,"

Then, just as the door shuts behind him he hears the other man call out.

"Try to actually pretend you're interested in what I'm saying next time,"

And ah, caught red handed. Though he supposes it's alright as he hears the door click softly behind him. Next time, huh.

2.

The second time Eiji Okumura meets Ash Lynx it's Yut-Lung's fault (as most things tend to be).

He's on a trip to the local grocery store a few blocks down, just behind the deli store he usually gets his lunch from. It's not his usual grocery day but alas, whiny sick roommates don't seem to care for schedules. Though he's not too bothered about it, grocery shopping on Thursday instead of Friday isn't that big of a deal.

At least not until it is. Not until he's about to turn the corner and grab some vegetables when he sees Ash Lynx eyeing up some avocados with a seriousness only college millennials seem to possess. Maybe this is why he'd decided Friday was grocery day.

He knows he can just walk behind Ash and he probably wouldn't notice but Eiji needs to go down this aisle to reach the radish. 

(In hindsight he realises he can just go around the other aisle but Yue is annoying to deal with when sick and he can already feel a headache coming on)

He's probably been standing there for a while if the distasteful look all the elderly moms are giving him is anything to go by and so he moves into the aisle only to realise that there's no one by the avocados now except from actual college millennials. Strange. Ash had slipped by without him noticing.

He thinks that's the end of their encounter until he walks out under the awnings and it starts to rain.

"Fuck," he says because he doesn't have a coat and his apartment is a good two blocks from here.

"Don't have a coat?" 

He turns around to face Ash Lynx, a smug grin of his face as he tugs the lapels of his trench coat.

"Your coat doesn't have a hood," he says.

"My hoodie does," Ash makes a show of pulling his hood over his head.

Eiji rolls his eyes, "so you're listening to me this time but not when it's important?"

"I didn't know it was important until Max told me I had to give you a formal apology," Ash says, moving aside to make way for some schoolkids.

"It's my job," he says. "You'd do good to remember that,"

Ash nods, "truce for now? I came here in a car so I can drop you off at your place,"

Eiji thinks he shouldn't go off into a car that basically belongs to a stranger but his hands hurt and the rain doesn't look like it'll let up anytime soon so he agrees. The radio plays his favourite song the whole way back.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had a youtuber au planned under the same name/au but it didn't work out whoops-
> 
> Funfact: this was gonna be an "Oh my God they were boyfriends" kinds fic instead
> 
> \- Lele


End file.
